"Shure, an' I hope not. It's the beautiful ship we have now. If we're afther meetin' a Spaniard it's a great time we'll be havin'."

"You'll be disappointed, Dan. Spanish ships are tired of showing themselves in these waters."

It seemed as if Young Glory was right.

The time pa.s.sed, and though a good lookout was kept, not one of the enemy's fleet hove in sight.

The Cristobal Colon was running along the northern coast of Cuba now.

Since she had parted with the gun-boat she had seen nothing of the latter. No doubt the Nashville was on its way to Key West.

The third day from Porto Rico found the cruiser lying off Mulas. The island jutted out prominently here, and the water being deep, the prize steamed along close in to sh.o.r.e.

"What's that?" asked Dan.

"A town, to be sure."

"An' it's a quare flag that's flying!"

"It's the Cuban flag. All this coast is in the hands of the insurgents."

"More power to them!"

"So say I, but what are we doing?"

"Running in to sh.o.r.e, Young Glory, though it's meself can't say why."

"It's water we want," said Lieutenant Tyler. "There's a good landing place here, deep water, and water, too, and as the town is in the hands of the insurgents, it's too good a chance to lose. Put her right in," he cried. "We run no risk."

The seamen were delighted at the prospect. Very few of them had stepped on dry land for many weeks, and it seemed certain that they would have a few hours ash.o.r.e at any rate.

"The patriots will be delighted when they find we've taken the Spanish cruiser, sir."

"I expect they know it. This boat's a different build to anything in our navy."

Boom! At this point a gun was fired from sh.o.r.e.

"Giving us a salute!" cried a young officer.

"Of a kind I don't like," answered the lieutenant in a sharp tone.

"Salutes are all very well, but not when given in the form of a sh.e.l.l."

The cruiser replied by firing one of its saluting guns.

"No doubt a mistake," was the lieutenant's comment, "but very careless not to know that the gun was shotted."

Boom!

There was a furious shout on the cruiser now. For another gun was fired, and this time a great sh.e.l.l pa.s.sed over the deck, landing in the water about three hundred yards away.

"No mistake this time!" cried Young Glory, savagely.

"Must be. Up with our colors. Show them another American flag. Then there can't be any excuse."

Up went the Stars and Stripes, amid the cheers of the sailors.

The instant it did the firing on sh.o.r.e began in real earnest.

A number of masked batteries opened fire on the cruiser, and shot and sh.e.l.l flew to the right and left of it.

Lieutenant Tyler was beside himself with rage.

What did it mean?

"It's a trap, sir, and we've fallen into it," said Young Glory. "That town is in Spanish hands, and the Cuban flag was run up to deceive us."

"Open fire, lads!" cried Mr. Tyler. "We'll show them that two can play at that game."

Crash!

"The ship's aground!"

This was the cry now, and it turned out to be true.

The Cristobal Colon was on a shoal.

Boom! Boom!

Her guns were being fired furiously, but Lieutenant Tyler saw with a face of concern that the sh.o.r.e batteries were situated at such a height, that it was quite impossible for him to train his guns on them.

Meanwhile, there the cruiser stuck, a target for the enemy to practice upon.

The engines were reversed. It was no good. The bottom of the cruiser was embedded in a bank of sand, and it was quite immovable.

The men were aghast.

"They'll come out and board us!" said one.

"Shure, it's not such fools they'll be."

"Why not, Dan?"

"Because they've all day to fire at us. Begorra, it's sunk we'll be."

"We can't get off, Young Glory," said Mr. Tyler to the young sailor.

"So I see, sir. But we shall."

"Not for two hours."